Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland are developing stronger alloys, which could lead to more robust construction materials for nuclear power plants. The neutrons emitted by nuclear reactors can make traditional steel brittle, but simulated tests indicated that hybrid high-entropy alloys, where crystals of their constituent elements are randomly placed, were less susceptible to neutron damage. This research is still in its early days, however: Helsinki’s Kai Nordlund said: “We are very happy but I wouldn’t dare yet to build a nuclear reactor out of these materials.”
